The best pretend play ideas are the ones adults can’t even think of. They require the imagination and creativity that only children can dream up, but sometimes, they need a starting point. A suggestion that opens the door for their minds to run wild. 

Below, we’ve found the best pretend play ideas for children of all ages. Give them a doll, offer the pretend play idea, and watch the magic unfold. 

For toddlers (18 months to 3 years)

The best pretend play ideas for young children focus on routines and everyday activities:

Bedtime routine

Encourage your child to put their doll to bed with a small blanket, a pillow, and a stuffed animal. This gives them a chance to develop empathy through nurturing their beloved doll. 

Bath time

Offer a small tub of water and a washable doll, and let them wash, dry, and wrap their baby in a towel. The sensory element keeps it engaging, and the caregiving element makes it meaningful. 

Meal times

Set a place for your little one’s doll at the table and let them feed it. This can help young children who are struggling with solid food themselves, giving them a chance to be in charge at the dinner table. 

Take the doll for a walk

Get a doll carrier or stroller, make sure the doll is comfy, and enjoy some fresh air. Go on a walk around the garden or park while your child looks after their friend. 

For preschoolers ( 3 to 5 years)

As the imagination develops and opens a whole new world of possibilities, pretend play can look like almost anything: 

The doctor’s surgery

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 often have big feelings about medical appointments and seeing the doctor. Playing them out with a doll gives them a safe way to process and make sense of this experience. 

The restaurant

Set up a table with play food, a menu drawn by your child, and a doll as the first customer. Children this age love taking orders, preparing meals and presenting them with great ceremony. 

The new baby

If there’s a new sibling on the way or has recently arrived, doll play can be a powerful way for your little one to rehearse the change and process their feelings. 

You can buy kits with pretend bottles, nappies, carriers, and other accessories to enhance the experience, helping build their confidence as a big sibling and reduce anxiety. 

School or nursery

Another great option to help children process their feelings about a big life event, this time with your child in control. They’re the teacher, and the doll is their student. They can act out what they’ve experienced so far and see it from a different perspective, making the change not so scary - perhaps even a little bit fun. 

For older children (5 years and up)

Older children can still exercise their imagination by playing with their cherished dolls:

World-building

Your child can expand their pretend play by creating a home for their doll, along with a neighbourhood, daily routine, friends and a place of work. Older children can create elaborate fictional worlds over days and weeks, with their doll as the anchor that brings them back.

Storytelling

Let your child make their own pretend play, then encourage them to write the stories down on paper or in a journal. With extra supplies, like a camera or coloured pencils, older children can often surprise you with how detailed and expansive their stories are!

A travel companion

Their doll can become a real-life companion on all outings, having its own experiences, preferences and thoughts. They see the same things your child does, but notice them differently. This kind of imaginative play keeps the excitement from being confined to a playroom. 

Foster creativity with Dinkum World

Every character from the Dinkum World arrives with a name, a personality, and a backstory. We include these details as an invitation for owners to build upon: your own story that no one else can replicate. 

Touch the rainbow over a Dinkum's heart. Close your eyes. You're already there.

Explore the Dinkum family at dinkumdolls.com